1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for printing images and the like on recording media such as photosensitive recording sheets, particularly to a printer the entire size of which is made compact without decreasing recording medium feeding and printing capabilities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior printers make exposure on a photosensitive recording sheet before pressing it to develop, thereby forming an image on a surface of the photosensitive recording sheet. As an example, Japanese Patent Application Publication 2000-162715(A) discloses a recording apparatus as printer that: a photosensitive recording sheet called the Cycolor medium is used that is formed of lamination of microcapsules filled with either one of coloring materials of cyan, magenta, and yellow each; the photosensitive recording sheet has a light of desired wavelength irradiated to a surface thereof to expose a color image; in other words, the surface is made to react to a light of specific wavelength to cure a sensitive material filled in the microcapsule together with the coloring material; the curing makes coloring reaction of the coloring material inactive; after that, a high pressure is applied to the active microcapsule without reacting to the light of specific wavelength to destroy for development (coloring), thereby forming the color image.
The prior printer mentioned above has an advantage that a running cost for printing can be kept low as consumable materials such as toner and ink or ink ribbon are not needed except for the above-mentioned Cycolor media only for forming, or printing, the color image. However, it has a problem pointed out that it takes a long time to print on a single photosensitive recording sheet (cycolor media) as the pressing and developing processes have to be made after some stabilization time called the dark time required after the exposing process.
To shorten the processing time, the above-mentioned prior printer is modified to make the sheet feeding and exposing processes in such a parallel way that a plurality of retaining tables for holding the photosensitive recording sheet is formed of a polyhedron, for example, a tetrahedron, the retaining tables form a cyclic arrangement having a first position for feeding the recording sheet, a second position for exposing the image to the fed recording sheet, and a third and fourth positions for allowing for the dark time. The way can shorten the process time for the plurality of photosensitive recording sheet while allowing for the dark time.
However, even the above-described prior art has problems such that the apparatus is made large as wide space is needed in the apparatus for containing the plurality of retaining tables formed of polyhedron, and also an additional driving arrangement for operating the cyclic arrangement is needed, and further a complicated control system is needed for the cyclic operation of the plurality of retaining table. As a result, it would be involved in high apparatus manufacturing cost, or cost increase.
The above-described prior art arranges in virtually linear order the cartridge as a sheet feeding section for containing a plurality of medium (photosensitive recording sheets), the exposing stage for making exposure on the media, the unit for pressure-developing the exposed medium, and the sheet discharging tray. It also has the exposing unit of projector type for irradiating light to the exposing stage arranged in parallel with the linear path. It results in large size of the whole apparatus, particularly in wide installation area for the apparatus.
The above-described prior art includes disclosures that the exposing unit of projector type is arranged perpendicular to the linear path, but the plurality of above-mentioned units are arranged still virtually in line. As a result, the entire apparatus occupies a large installation area.
Further, the above-mentioned Cycolor media is on the marked in forms as blank cut sheets, such as a rectangular form, before the printing processes (exposing and pressure-developing processes). In the cutting process to the blank forms, the Cycolor medium has an undesired force applied to four edges thereof. The four edges result in destruction of the microcapsules of unactiviated (active) state having the coloring materials filled therein, the microcapsules being thereon. It is disadvantageous that the four edges cannot be developed to desired colors, but becomes black or undesirable results. To dissolve such problems, it is desirable to an additional cutting arrangement for cutting out the edges of the developed medium. Addition of the cutting arrangement to the prior printer, however, makes the linear path formed in the apparatus further longer. As a result, it is unavoidable that the entire apparatus is made further larger, occupying wider apparatus installation area and volume.
Another Japanese Patent No. 2665393(B) discloses that an image-receiving sheet as a recording medium is to be fed on the feed path arranged in approximately horseshoe cross-section along inside walls of the apparatus housing. The units served for forming (printing) the image, however, are arranged on upper and lower portions, and the medium feed paths for achieving image forming are linked between the upper and lower portions. The resulting volume occupied by the entire apparatus becomes large. Further, the cassette as a medium feeding section is arranged on the bottom of the apparatus, and the sheet discharging section is on the top of the apparatus. The apparatus therefore is lowered in the operationability and maintainability.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that an entire apparatus is made compact without decreasing a recording medium feeding performance and a printing process capability in a way that a plurality of processing units serving for the printing processes and recording medium feed path linking those units are arranged reasonably.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer that minimizing the entire apparatus and maximizing the recording medium feed path are achieved at the same time.
Still, another object of the present invention is to provide printer that no large-scale arrangements are provided for printing processes to meet a required printing accuracy and to shorten a processing time.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printer of low price by way of suppressing apparatus manufacturing costs with use of simple feed driving arrangements and controls.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printer increased in operationability and maintainability.
Briefly, the foregoing objects are accomplished in accordance with aspects of the present invention by a printer having an apparatus housing and making a plurality of processes on a recording medium, comprising in combination: a first processing section for making a first process on said recording medium; a second processing section arranged close to said first processing section for making a second process on said recording medium having had the first process made by said first processing section, thereby capable of obtaining an image on a surface of the recording medium, the second process being different from the first process by said first processing section; and, a recording medium feed path formed between said first processing section and said second processing section; wherein said recording medium feed path is arranged to form virtual traversing. The recording medium feed path has a staying section having said recording medium made to stay therein. The recording medium feed path has a switchback path for substantially extending said recording medium feed path provided on a part of said recording medium feed path.
The first processing section is made up of an exposing section for making exposure on said recording medium and, said second processing section is made up of a developing section for making development by pressing said recording medium having the exposure made thereon by said exposing section. The exposing section has an exposing light source, an exposing stage arranged at an exposure position at which the exposure is made on said recording medium, and an exposing system arranged in an exposure path from said exposing light source to said exposing stage, said exposing light source being provided at an upper portion of said apparatus housing and said exposing stage being provided at a lower portion of said apparatus housing and on said recording medium feed path. The developing section is preferably arranged at a lower portion of said apparatus housing.
The printer further comprises in combination a containing section arranged close to said exposing section for containing said recording medium before printing is made and a take-out section for taking out the printed recording medium, wherein said containing section and said take-out section are arranged on one side of said apparatus housing and said developing section is arranged on the other side of said apparatus housing. The exposing section is arranged around a center of said apparatus housing; and further, the feed path for said recording medium extending from said containing section to said exposing section is formed to curve and the feed path for said recording medium extending from said developing section to said take-out section is formed to curve on a diagonal line,of said apparatus housing. The recording medium feed path extending from said containing section to said take-out section is formed along inside surfaces of said apparatus housing so as to enclose said exposing section.
The developing section has paired rollers for pressing said recording medium at a specific pressure and wherein said recording medium feed path is formed so that said recording medium having had pressure development process made along parts of a surface of one of said paired rollers is fed to a downstream side.
The exposing stage has stretching means for making said recording medium stretch plain. The stretching means has paired feed rollers made to rotate while pressing against both sides of said recording medium to applying a specific feeding force to said recording medium and wherein at least one of said paired feed rollers is made to act on said recording medium while said feeding force opens at a specific angle with respect to the feed direction of said recording medium.
The printer further comprises in combination a fixing section for fixing the image formed on a surface of said recording medium having the image developed thereon by said developing section, wherein said fixing section is provided above said exposing section. The fixing section is structured to re-irradiate a light from said exposing light source to the surface of said recording medium having the image formed thereon to fix the image thereon.
The containing section has a cassette therein having a package having said recording medium contained therein and a light shielding member for shielding said recording medium contained in said package against external lights. The package has a humidity conditioning agent provided therein, said humidity conditioning agent being replaceable or refillable. The cassette has identifying means for identifying said recording medium contained in said package provided therein.
The containing section further has a lid allowing said cassette to load from an outside and a shutter switching arrangement for opening and closing a shutter provided on said cassette, said shutter switching arrangement being made up of a link member for liking between said lid and said cassette so as to open said shutter after closing of said lid.
The take-out section is arranged at a top portion of said apparatus housing and has a post-heating section provided therein for post-heat-processing said recording medium having had printing made thereon. The post-heating section has heaters for heating said recording medium and staying means for making a plurality of said recording media stay therein. The staying means is structured for making said recording media stay in succession while moving said recording media in vertical direction. The staying means has at least four screws for supporting said recording media horizontal, each of said screws having a recording medium placing portion continuing vertically for successively moving said recording media placed on said recording medium placing portion vertically with said screws driven to rotate. Below said staying means is arranged feeding means for feeding outward said recording medium dropping from said recording medium placing portion.